MIT Libraries homeDome

View of the dome and façade, from across the Tiber; "The church was founded in 1499 by Pope Alexander VI. It started out as the chapel of an adjacent hospital. At first the hospital was for men only, but later a maternity wing for women from the Tiber barges was added. With time, the hospital came to be used mainly by unmarried mothers. A wing was set aside for those who did not wish to give their name, and the patients were even permitted to wear veils to protect their anonymity. In the beginning of the 20th century, the hospital was closed, and in the 1930's, it was demolished during the excavations of the Mausoleum of Augustus. The church was rebuilt in 1657 to a design by G.A. De Rossi, and later changes were made introducing the Neo-Classical style to it. The façade is by Giuseppe Valadier, and was constructed in 1834. It is clearly influenced by Palladio's designs." Source: http://roma.katolsk.no/rocco.htm